1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lighting fixtures, and more particularly, to lighting fixtures employed in recreational vehicles with direct current wiring.
2. Description of Related Art
Direct current, fluorescent light fixtures have become popular for use in various vehicles such as recreational vehicles, boats and long haul truck cabs. Fixtures of this type, along with many other varieties of lighting fixtures that may also be suitable for use in indoor, outdoor, commercial, industrial or residential applications, typically incorporate a frame having a border thereabout for overlying the marginal edges of an opening. Such openings are generally configured to receive a light panel that typically mounts at least one florescent light tube or any other desired illuminating means.
Cost effective assembly of such fixtures is of great importance. Given the high cost of labor, many different arrangements have been proposed to relieve labor intensive steps. One such arrangement includes a light panel received in a recessed opening defined by a frame to be loosely secured thereto during the manufacturing and assembly process for final assembly at the installation site. An arrangement of this type is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,955, which is assigned to the assignee of the instant application and discloses a frame having laterally disposed side rails formed with inwardly projecting mounting flanges. Retainer clips situated below the frame flanges form inwardly opening notches, and a light socket mounting pan is formed with laterally outwardly turned mounting flanges configured to underlie the frame flanges to be received in the notches. The retainer clips may then be employed to loosely maintain the pan and frame in an assembled configuration during shipping and storage. Upon installation to a selected structural wall, mounting screws are inserted through both the frame flanges and the pan flanges and then driven into a selected structural wall to mount the device thereto. However, such a device, while enjoying great commercial success, requires the use of a mounting device for final assembly of the pan to the frame at the time of installation.
Thus, there exists a need for a light fixture that is conveniently pre-assembled during the manufacturing process such that its lighting device mounting panel is finally and securely mounted to its frame and such that the fixture may thereafter be readily installed on a selected structural wall or other desired mounting surface. The present invention fulfills this need.